Now and again we all meet people whose outward appearance belies the person underneath, Doreen Nicoll is one such person. Doreen and I met late last year when we both appeared as guests on a television show, she sat across from me and I noted how petite and frail she seemed...until she started speaking! My friend Doreen may be petite but she is a powerhouse of empowerment, a woman who has and is still living with the effects of domestic violence and yet who has chosen to speak up to advocate for others. Doreen wields her pen (or rather, her computer) as her weapon of choice, writing prolifically in her fight to do her part to end poverty, hunger and gendered violence. 1 in four will be showcasing Doreen's blogs, the first of which appears below...enjoy!

We've had a number of fellow survivors stepping forward looking to share their thoughts and insights, and so 2015 plans to be a year of many voices. To start us off, here is our first Guest Blog post here at 1 in Four:

Fostering exchange to support individuals affected by domestic violence

1 in Four: the domestic violence project invites you to join women, survivors, service providers and community members in Hamilton to celebrate our 2-year anniversary as we launch our new resource database in collaboration with Information Hamilton.